Friday Faves week of 6/21: Caddying, T. Swift, Freddy Adu, Meryl Streep, and Fluff!

Every Friday, I plan on sharing stuff I liked from my week. The busyness of summer typically leads to a break in routine and doing stuff we like (I know, I know…this is from a teacher’s perspective.). Selfishly, this will be a great way to track my weeks and remember music, books, TV, podcasts, articles, recipes, places, adventures, and anything else that stuck out for me during the week.

Feel free to add your own Faves in the comment section.

Best activity

This past Monday, the first official day of my summer, I pulled myself out of bed at 6am to drive to Plymouth to caddy for my friend Matt who was trying to qualify for the Massachusetts Amateur Championship.

It was a blast watching him play golf on a great course, especially on the back 9 when he shot a 31 and qualified for his first ever for the Mass Am. It’s a pretty big deal.

It was a good way to start the week.

Best Listens

Taylor Swift’s new song, “You Need to Calm Down” has been making headlines and I’ve been listening to it on repeat. Yes, the message in the song is very “on the nose”, and the music video drives the point home even further, but the tune is catchy and I like some of the lyrics.

However, T. Swift isn’t the only female artist on my radar right now. A bunch of other female pop-stars are invading my ears, too. And I am just fine with it.

Grace VanderWaal first hit the scene on America’s Got Talent as a young girl. Now she’s (kind of) all grown up and her music is great. Here’s her music video for her new single “Stray” and if I were to direct you to a couple other songs I’d say listen to “Moonlight” and “So Much More Than This” should be on your list.

Next month, my wife and I are heading to Portland, ME to see Maggie Rogers in concert with some friends. I’ve been regularly listening to her album for the last month or so. She is like a super-powered Ingrid Michaelson (note: I love Michaelson, but when you listen to them back-to-back, Roger’s voice just packs more of a punch). Give “Light On” and “Fallingwater” a listen this weekend.

While my last listen isn’t a female pop artist, I’d be remiss to not give a quick shoutout to Vampire Weekend’s new album “Father of the Bride” which is not, sadly, a concept album to pair with the Steve Martin movie. However, it’s a great album with a lot of stuff going on. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite Vampire Weekend album, but it has some of my favorite songs: “This Life”, “Harmony Hall”, and “Stranger” are the songs I seek out the most. You’ll think you’re listening to George Michael, Paul Simon, The Grateful Dead, and The Talking Heads as work your way through the album. Bonus points to Vampire Weekend for including Danielle Haim on a bunch of the songs. Her and her sister (Haim) are awesome, too.

Best Reads - Music and soccer

NYTimes on T. Swift

Like I said above, the Taylor Swift single has been getting the attention of a lot of critics. The New York Times has a great piece with three of their critics debating the song and the music video. They’re smart, so you should read it.

What ever happened to Freddy Adu?

Freddy Adu was a 14 year-old wonder kid. The future of American soccer at the turn of the century. He was going to deliver the United States a World Cup. Then, things got hard. At 30, he’s still hoping to get back on the field. He probably never will…

Harry Potter

My friend Laura bought me the illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as a gift on my last day of school. I read the series when I started teaching, figuring it was too powerful a force to avoid. I needed some “classroom cred,” so I plowed through the books just in time for the release of the final book.

I picked up the book yesterday evening and started reading it again. I plan on making my way through the series again because it’s alway good to reread books.

Best Eats

Giant brand sunflower seeds

I don’t, and never have, dipped chewing tobacco. I have enough friends with horror stories that typically culminate in vomiting, passing out in a shower, or both... However, when I am golfing I do enjoy a good sunflower seed. I have tried all sorts of flavors: Dill, Bacon, Frank’s Red Hot, cracked pepper. But my friend Pat handed me Giant’s Kettle Cooked seeds and I finished the bag this week. They have just the right amount of sweetness (think Kettle Corn popcorn). They’re so good, that sometimes I don’t even spit the shell out; I just chew on them until they’re crunched up enough to swallow.

The Black Bean and Avocado Torta at Monument

My wife and I are regulars at Monument Tavern in Charlestown. It’s delicious and the 3 minute walk from our apartment makes it very convenient on nights when we look at each other with the realization that we’re both unmotivated to cook dinner. On Wednesday, my wife was at a work function so I decided to grab dinner at the bar. This torta is my go to when I don’t feel like eating meat (read: when I’ve had too much meat already during the day/week). It’s spicy and packed with fresh ingredients, the bread is superb, and the side salad is so damn good you’ll consider bypassing their “half fries/half salad” option, which is what I did on Wednesday. It’s the best side salad you’re going to find in Boston (or maybe anywhere on this planet).

Fluff

As I wandered through Market Basket this week, there was a huge display for Fluff. The Somerville invention has never graced our cupboards before. That is no longer true. I forgot how delicious it is with peanut butter (or just alone on a spoon).

Best Watches

The Bachelorette

This is my greatest guilty pleasure, and I have managed to make my wife watch it with me over the last six years. This season is particularly good, even though Monday’s episode was a bit of a flop.

If you’ve never watched, you can just listen to the podcast my wife and I do each week. We watch segments of the show, pause it, record our pod for 15 minutes, then keep watching, pause, and record some more.

You can listen here to The Random Division (and tell any of your friends!).

Big Little Lies

The second season of Big Little Lies came out a couple weeks ago. We watched the first two episodes back-to-back this week. The show is outstanding and I think one of my favorite parts of the show is the tour de force of female actresses, which was made stronger by the addition of Meryl Streep.

My affinity for Monterrey, CA and the fact that I can relate to some of the school nonsense (the first season culminates with a death at an over-the-top private school Gala) makes this show hit close to home. But the acting and the story is awesome.

What were your Faves this week? Add them in the comments!

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday.

Finding My New Identity

I am sitting here in one of those sad Starbucks inside of a Barnes and Noble having just left my job for the final time. My laptop has been handed in. My office is cleaned out. Good-byes (and see ya laters) have been said. Some tears have been shed and as many loose-ends as possible have been tied up (but they know where to find me…).

I have been a teacher for 13 years at the same school. I came up through the mail room (if you will). I was hired as a third grade Teaching Assistant in 2006 out of Holy Cross and finished at a 6th grade English teacher and Dean of Students (with an 8 year stint as a fourth grade teacher in the middle). For my entire post-college life I have been able to answer the question, “What do you do?” with a simple answer: “I’m a teacher.”

This answer typically receives a somewhat sympathetic response. It’s like I’m telling them I’ve decided to work my life as a volunteer. Most people understand that teachers don’t get paid much and are worked to the bone and have to compete with cell phones and tech and dwindling attention spans. It’s a hard job, and it’s under-appreciated (But they always remind us that we have summers off…).

On Saturday, I was at a birthday party and was asked what I do for a living. It was the first time I couldn’t give my tried and true answer, because I am no longer a teacher. Instead, I had to muddle through an explanation of a part-time job I recently secured while also explaining that I am going to try to hack it as a writer (“hack it” has turned into the crutch phrase I have used for better or worse). I was somewhat embarrassed as the words came out of my mouth. Here I am, an educated 35 year-old who just decided to leave his solid, steady, fulfilling (yet exhausting) job to try to “hack it” as a writer while also working for a non-profit.

This muddled, confused answer is one I should have been giving 13 years ago, not now. I’m too old, too established in a career to just be a Stay at Home Husband while leaning on my wonderful, supportive wife so I can try something new (Thanks, Tiff!).

However, I also realized that my identity was so wrapped up in being a teacher since graduating college. It’s something I took pride in. I was proud of the school I worked at and it became part of my fabric. I had thought about leaving in the past and could never really see it all the way through. I loved the pace and the challenge. Some of my colleagues became close friends. They convinced me to try to date my wife when she came to see my apartment as a possible roommate (note: others said I should just let her move in…). They comforted me and attended the funeral of my father five years ago. They attended my wedding. They’ve seen me grow up quite a bit.

13 years is a long time to be one thing. I was a teacher with a bunch of hobbies. Now, I have to figure out a new identity. It might take some time. It might take the rest of my life, or it might only take the summer as I decompress and figure out the next steps in my life.

Right now, I am wandering, exploring, and just plain excited to rebrand myself.

Maybe I will speak some of my identity into existence. Part of me thinks it will take a bit more effort (and a touch of luck… always a touch of luck). So I look forward to using this blog as a way to explore and share some of the things I like, while hopefully entertaining you all along the way and figuring out how to ask that pesky question: “What do you do?”